President Erdoğan aims to develop bilateral relations with China and further develop ties with the US
Turkey’s fight against terrorism will continue in Syria and Iraq, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Friday before leaving for an official visit to China.
“We are taking steps regarding the development of ties between Turkey and China. Hopefully, we can positively impact the world,” said Erdoğan at a news conference in the capital Ankara.
“We will discuss the necessary steps to advancing our bilateral relations.”
Erdoğan is scheduled to visit Washington and meet with his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump on May 16.
“Next week’s visit to the U.S. will mark a new beginning in relations [between Turkey and the U.S.],” the president said.
He also commented on issues expected to be high on the agenda for the meeting, including the extradition of FETÖ ringleader Fetullah Gülen and the recent decision by the U.S. to arm terrorist organizations in Syria.
“Turkey will pursue the issue of U.S.-based Gülen’s extradition to the end,” Erdoğan said.
"There are some documents and information we have prepared, which we will present to him," said Erdogan. "In my opinion, the United States of America should not be an incubation center for FETO."
FETÖ and the U.S.-based Gulen are accused by Turkey of being behind the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which martyred 249 people and left some 2,200 injured. It is also accused of infiltrating educational and other institutions both in Turkey and worldwide for its own ends, including subverting the state.
“The decision [by the U.S.] to arm the Syrian Kurdish YPG is contrary to our strategic relationship.”
The president added that he believes issues with the U.S. will largely be resolved during the visit, and said that the two heads of state would discuss developing economic ties.
“We will also discuss how we can develop our economic cooperation with the U.S. We will also hold meetings with leading figures from U.S. companies,” Erdoğan said.
Erdogan said the U.S. was still in a transition process after Trump's presidency. "We should be more careful and sensitive due to this transition process."
Erdoğan also spoke about Turkey’s regional counterterrorism efforts.
The Turkish president said Turkey was the only country to fight Daesh at the highest level. "Is there such a country fighting Daesh like Turkey? No, there is not. All of them are just babbling about it."
"As Turkey, we have carried out the operations [against Daesh] both inside and outside. We will continue to carry them out. This can be Daesh, PKK, or YPG," said Erdoğan.
He added: "Turkey is an ally with the U.S. in NATO. For this reason, such a powerful country, with which we are in alliance within NATO, should surely take steps in the [northern Syrian] region with its powerful ally [Turkey]. We do not wish to associate the terrorist organizations with the U.S and the U.S. with the terrorist organizations. We never approve it."
On Tuesday, the Pentagon announced that Trump had approved the arming of the SDF ahead of an attempt to drive Daesh from Raqqah, the last Syrian city held by the terror group.
The SDF is spearheaded by the PKK/PYD and its armed wing, the PKK/YPG. Turkey views both as the Syrian affiliates of the terrorist PKK, which has fought a 33-year war against Turkey and is also listed as a terror organization by the U.S. and EU.
However, the U.S. has used the PKK/PYD as its ally in Syria in combatting Daesh. Turkey has repeatedly called on the U.S. to end its ties to the PKK/PYD and offered to help take Raqqah.
The PKK resumed its armed campaign against Turkey in July 2015. Since then, it has been responsible for the deaths of some 1,200 Turkish security personnel and civilians, including a number of women and children.
“We are fighting with Daesh in a relentless manner. Our security forces are on the frontline,” said the president.
“There is no regional threat to the U.S. or to Russia. The threat is to us. We will never view it as befitting of the U.S. to stand beside a terrorist organization.”
